Hinged locking braces for folding table sections



R. O. BLINK March 25, 1958 HINGED LOCKING BRACES FOR FOLDING TABLESECTIONS Filed Jan. 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R w m z N N WM M N v w W 0M 4,, Wx W\ N M Y v B Q M MN g r A 5 Q March 25, 1958 R. o. BLINKlHINGED LOCKING BRACES FOR FOLDING TABLE SECTIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJan. 11, 1957 IN V EN TOR. WM 0. @M

HINGED LOCKING BRACES FOR FOLDING TABLE SECTIONS Robert O. Blink,Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Mitchell Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee,Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Application January 11, 1957, Serial No.633,650

2 Claims. (Cl. 31192) This invention relates to improvements in hingedlocking braces for folding table sections.

Relatively large and elongated folding tables are customarily used inchurches, schools and other meeting places where large gatherings takeplace. As the tables are used in outstretched unfolded condition inrooms or auditoriums which serve other purposes, it is necessary, whenthe tables are not in use, that they be susceptible of being stored in afolded or collapsed condition. The ordinary folding table of the typeunder consideration comprises two end-to-end hingedly joined sectionswith associated folding leg mechanism, which sections are arranged to befolded, for storage purposes, one upon the other. Consequently, the pairof table sections making up an elongated folding table are hingedlyconnected along their abutting ends and it is desirable that brace 'orlocking means be applied along the undersur faceof the board across thejunction of the meeting ends to prevent the table, when in itsoutstretched condition, from unauthorizedly folding or collapsing shouldpressure be applied to either end of the outstretched table.

-With the foregoing in mind it is, therefore, a primary object of thepresent invention to provide in a twosection folding table, a hingedlocking brace positionable across the line of fold of the table sectionsto maintain and brace the table sections in their outstretched conditionand to prevent undesired folding thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hinged locking bracefor folding table sections manually manipulatable to and from aninoperative position and which, in its operative position, serves as abrace or lock to prevent the extended table sections from buckling orfolding should pressure he applied to the ends of the table.

A further object of the 'invention'is to provide a hinged locking bracefor folding table sections which, when positioned perpendicularly to theplane of the table sections, 'locks the same against undesired foldingmovemerit, but which may be folded parallel to the plane of the tablesections to permit the latter to be folded upon themselves and whichhinged locking brace, in the latter position, has its pintle alignedwith the pintles of the hinges between the two "table sections.

.Afurther object .of the inventionis .to provide a hinged locking bracefor folding table sections which is manipulatable from a positionperpendicular to the plane of the table sections for .table top bracingpurposes when the tableis out-stretched, to a position parallel to theplane of the table sections wherein folding of the table sections maybeaccomplished, the hinged sections of the locking brace .beingunder theinfluence of yielding springs which are so associated with the hingedlocking brace as to apply force thereto to hold the same in either itsflat or perpendicular position.

i A further object of the'invention'is to provide a'hinged locking bracefor folding table sections which is easily manually manipulated, whichiscompact and 'folds'within the confines of the table top sections so asnot to interfere with the collapse of the latter, which is strong and.durable, which is eificient in operation, and which is well adapted forthe purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of theimproved hinged locking brace for folding table sections, and its partsand combinations as.

set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference charactersindicate the same parts in all the views:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of a two-sectionfolding table in its out-stretched condition, with parts broken away andin section to show the improved hinged locking brace applied between theabutting ends of the table top sections;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of a two-section fold.- ing table in itsoutstretched condition only showing the hinged locking brace folded intoits non-operative position parallel to the plane of the table topsections, in which position the table top sections may be folded uponthemselves;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary inverted plan view of the abuttingends of a pair of hingedly connected table top sections having appliedthereto the improved hinged locking brace which is in its folded ornon-operative position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary .sectional view taken approxi mately along the.line 4-4 of Fig. 3.;

Fig. 5 is a .view similar to Fig. 3, only showing the hinged lockingbrace in its operative section bracing and locking positionperpendicular to the plane of the table top sections;

Fig. .6 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 6-6 ofFig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view'taken along the line 7-7of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing the table topsections in their collapsed or folded 'condition confining therebetweenthe folded hinged :locking brace.

Referring now :more particularly to the drawings, will appear that theimproved hinged locking brace "is adapted for incorporation in a foldingtable structure of the type illustrated and described in the .co-pendingapplication of .Peter Blink, for'Securing Means for Folding Table andCabinet Assemblages,-Serial No. .5l8,7'4'5,.filed June 29, 1955. Thefolding table disclosed .in:said 1:0- pending application and shown in,Figs. 1 and :2 'of the accompanying drawings comprises a pair of tabletop sections lit and 11 hingedly connected together at :their abuttingends by hinged plates '12, whereby the table'ztop sections ltlzand 11may :be foldedfrom'the outstretched condition .of Fig. .l :to thecollapsed condition ;of:Fig. :8 with the inner faces of the table topsections in junta; position and confining therebetween :the collapsibleleg and brace mechanism. The :latter includes pivotally mounted end :legstructures Y13 and '14 vanti zpivotally mounted intermediate legs 15. .The irrtermediateflegs ?15 have swinging link connections 16 with atransverse :revoluble shaft 17 on the underside of :the tabletop section11 whereby the intermediate legs are adaptedto-be folded from thevertical supporting position of .Fig. 1 to .a. collapsed positionbetween the folded table ,top sections when the table-is collapsed ,orfolded medially. Theleg structure 13 of the table top section 10 has,pivotally secured thereto the end of an elongated rod 18, While the legstructure 1140f the-tabletop section 11 haspivotally connected theretothe outer end of a similar rod 19. The inner ends of the rods '18 and 19are pi-votally connected to bracketsfltl and .251 respectively,'carriedi'by-the undersurface portions .of the table .top sections :131and Ill,

adjacent their hinged inner ends. Thus, a folding movement of one of thetable sections toward the inner face of the other is effective, throughthe rods 18 and 19, to project the leg structures 13 and 14, from theirnormal perpendicular supporting position of Fig. 1 toward the outer endsof their respective top sections and flatly against their innersurfaces. Similarly, through the swinging links 16, the intermediatelegs 15 are caused to fold flatly relative to the table top sections.

Becausethe present invention is concerned primarily with the hingedlocking brace applied to the adjacent inner hinged ends of the table topsections 10 and 11, Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive of the drawings whichspecifically illustrate said hinged locking brace structure have hadomitted therefrom the intermediate legs 15 and the connecting links 16and shaft 17. Because the folding table in its out-stretched conditionis elongated and for folding purposes buckles and folds across thetransverse median which is along the line of hinge connection betweenthe sections 10 and 11, if undue pressure should be applied to eitherend of the outstretched table, it might tend to undesirably buckle orfold. Consequently, to guard against this undesirable contingency, theabutting inner end portions of the table sections 10 and 11 have appliedto their inner surfaces a hinged locking brace which may be folded froman inoperative position to an operative position, and in the latterposition it will lock and brace the hingedly connected adjacent ends ofthe table sections from undesirably buckling or foldin Each tablesection 19 and 11, adjacent its inner end and parallel with itslongitudinal median, has secured thereto right angularly shaped hingebrackets 22. The outer margins of said hinge brackets 22 are serratedand rolled to interfit with similar serrated and rolled edges ofcomplementary hinge plates 23. Pintles 24 extend through theinterfitting rolled and serrated margins of the hinge brackets 22 andthe complementary hinge plates 23. Thus, the hinge plates 23 may befolded relative to the anchored hinge brackets 22 from the operativeposition of Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7, wherein the hinge plates areperpendicular to the plane of the table top sections 10 and 11, to theinoperative position of Figs. 3, 4 and 8, wherein the hinge plates areparallel to the planes of the table top sections. The adjacent ends ofthe hinge plates 23 are also formed with interfitting serrated androlled portions which are secured together by a pintle 25. When thehinge plates are folded to the inoperative position of Figs. 3 and 4,the pintle 25 hingedly connecting the ends of the same is alined withthe pintles of the hinge plates 12 which connect the table top sectionsand consequently the table top sections may then be f lded uponthemselves to the position of Fig. 8.

It will be observed from Figs. 3 and that the hinged locking bracestructure is operatively positioned on the underside of the table topsections between the leg operating rods 18 and 19 so as not to interferetherewith and is accommodated therebetween in its folded position.Mounted on the undersurface of one of the table top sections adjacentits hinged inner end is a right angular bracket 26 whose downwardlyprojecting leg lies adjacent an outer face portion of one of the hingeplates 23 when it is folded to its perpendicular position and therebyforms a stop to limit the unfolding movement of the hinge plates in onedirection.

Mounted on the underside of the table top sections and 11 adjacent theends of the hinge plates 23 but ofI'set laterally therefrom are angularbrackets 27 to which are secured one pair of ends of coiled springs 28.The other ends of said coiled springs are secured to end portions of thehinge plates 23. The mounting of the springs 28 is such that they exerta force on a bias relative to the hinge plates and hold the same undertension in the perpendicular operative position of Figs. 5 and 6 and inthe folded inoperative position of Figs. 3 and 4, so that the hingeplates will not unauthorizedly shift from 4 one position to the other,but they may be manually moved from the perpendicular to the fiatposition against the tension of the springs.

From the drawings and description it will be obvious that when the tabletop sections It? and 11 are outstretched and the hinged locking bracehas the plates 23 thereof projected to the perpendicular position ofFigs. 1, 5, 6 and 7, the hinge plates which then span the junctionbetween the hinged inner ends of the table top sections has its hingepintle 25' perpendicular to the axes of the pintles of the table topsection hinges 12. This position of the hinge plates forms a lockingbridge-like brace which pre vents relative folding of the outstretchedtable top sections even though pressure is applied to the ends thereof.This is a safety factor which prevents undesired collapse or buckling ofthe table top sections. When it is desired to fold the table topsections upon themselvesfor removal and storage, it is only necessary tomanually swing the hinge plates 23 to the position of Figs. 2 and 3wherein said hinge plates are parallel to the plane of the table topsections. This manipulation of the hinge plates 23 then positions thepintle 25, which joins the abutting ends of the hinge plates, inalinement with the table top sections hinges l2 and permits the hingeplates 23 to fold flatly upon themselves while the tabletop sections arebeing folded to the position of Fig. 8 which confines the parts andmechanism between the adjacent undersurfaces of the folded table topsections.

The improved hinged locking brace for folding table sections insures thesecurement of the table in its outstretched condition, but by a simplemanual manipulation of the hinge plates 23 to the position of Figs. 2and 3, the table top sections may be easily folded upon themselves inthe usual manner. The hinged locking brace for folding table sections isinconspicuous, compact, easily operated, eliminates hazards, and is welladapted for the purposes set forth. 7

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. Ina folding table having an elongated fiat top formed of a pair ofsimilar, end to end sections hingedly connected together at theiradjacent ends so as to be longitudinally aligned when in theiroutstretched condition; the improvements which comprise an articulatedlocking brace carried by the underside of thetop sections to span theadjacent inner ends thereof, said locking brace including a platehingedly connected along a longitudinal edge to each top sectionadjacent its inner end, and a hinge connection between the adjacent endsof said plates, the latter hinge connection being transverse to the axisof hinge connection between the plates and the top sections whereby theplates may be folded into parallelism with the plane of the top sectionsand folded upon themselves when the top sections are folded, or extendedperpendicular to the plane of the top sections to lock the latteragainst folding movement; and tension springs directly connected betweenthe outer ends of the plates and undersurface portions of the topsections, said springs being on a bias to the longitudinal median of theplates.

2. In a folding table having an elongated fiat top formed of a pair ofsimilar, end to end sections with hinges connecting said top sectionstogether at their adjacent inner ends whereby the top sections arelongitudinally aligned when in their outstretched condition; theimprovements which comprise a locking brace carried by the underside ofthe top sections to span the adjacent inner ends thereof, said lockingbrace including a plate hingedly carried by each top s ction adjacentits inner end, the plates of the top sections being longitudinallyaligned, and a hinge connection between the adjacent ends of saidplates, the latter hinge connection being transverse to the axis of thehinge connection between the plates and the top sections whereby theplates may be folded into parallelism with the plane of the top sectionswith the last-mentioned hinge connection aligned with the hinges betweenthe top sections and folded upon themselves when the top sections arefolded, or extended perpendicular to the plane of the top sections withthe hinge connection between the plates perpendicular to the hingesbetween the top sections to lock the latter against folding movement; astop carried by the underside of one of the top sections to-abut andlimit the movement of the locking brace when it is perpendicular to theplane of the top sections; and tension springs connected directlybetween the outer ends of the plates and undersurface portions of thetop sections, said springs being on a bias to the longitudinal median ofthe plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS LothMay 13, 1873 Srnedes May 28, 1889 Meek Ian. 22, 1926 Rich Sept. 15, 1936Howe Aug. 19, 1952 Mugler Jan. 18, 1955 Mitchell Jan. 10, 1956 BlinkJan. 10, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS France Dec. 30, 1932

